Fiber optic networks are widely utilized for communications, data transmission and other applications. Regardless of the application, fiber optic networks generally provide for the interconnection or optical coupling of various ones of the optical fibers in order to facilitate the distribution, branching or other routing of the optical signals.
In order to facilitate the interconnection of a plurality of optical fibers, a fiber optic network in a central office generally includes a plurality of fiber optic distribution frames or other fiber optic interconnection enclosures, such as fiber optic cross-connect units, interconnect boxes, patch panels or the like. As is known to those skilled in the art, a fiber optic distribution frame generally includes a plurality of connector panels, each of which has a number of connector sleeves for interconnecting, i.e., cross-connecting, respective pairs of optical fibers. While the connector panels are generally vertically arranged within a fiber optic distribution frame, the connector panels can be angled or slanted, if so desired.
A conventional fiber optic distribution frame receives a plurality of incoming fiber optic cables, each of which has a number of optical fibers. In addition, a number of outgoing optical fibers also emerge from the fiber optic distribution frame for routing throughout a building or the like. In order to appropriately interconnect respective optical fibers of the incoming fiber optic cables and the outgoing optical fibers following connectorization of the optical fibers, a technician connects a connector mounted upon each of the incoming and outgoing optical fibers with respective connector sleeves. Typically, the technician connects the connectorized optical fibers to the respective connector sleeves from one side, typically the rear side, of the fiber optic distribution frame. By then accessing the other side of the distribution frame, a technician can connect pairs of the incoming and outgoing optical fibers. In particular, a technician can connect the opposite ends of a fiber optic jumper or other relatively short length of optical fiber upon which connectors have been mounted to the opposite ends of the connector sleeves to which the respective incoming and outgoing optical fibers are connected. Thus, the incoming optical fiber is optically connected to one end of the fiber optic jumper while the outgoing optical fiber is optically connected to the other end of the fiber optic jumper, thereby optically interconnecting the incoming and outgoing optical fibers. As known to those skilled in the art, a fiber optic distribution frame not only permits a relatively large number of optical fibers to be interconnected in an efficient manner, but a fiber optic distribution frame permits reconfiguration of the fiber optic network by merely rearranging the manner in which the fiber optic jumpers interconnect respective ones of the incoming and outgoing optical fibers.
Although fiber optic networks are widely utilized, certain applications, such as certain optical communications applications, are demanding ever increasing levels of performance, such as reduced attenuation and reflections. In addition, fiber optic networks, such as those fiber optic networks employing Erbium Doped Fiber Amplitiers (EDFAs) and Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), oftentimes require high power densities within the fiber cores. As a result, the accumulation of even a small amount of dirt or other contaminants upon the core region of the end face of an optical fiber can cause serious system degradation and, in some instances, catastrophic fiber damage.
Unfortunately, conventional fiber optic distribution frames permit particles, such as dust and other contaminants, to settle on all exposed surfaces during the initial set-up or during subsequent reconfiguration of the fiber optic distribution frame. As such, a certain percentage of the particles will eventually settle on or be transferred to the end faces of the interconnected optical fibers.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the accumulation of particles, such as dust or other contaminants, on the end face of an optical fiber increases the attenuation and the reflection of the optical signals and will otherwise impair the efficiency with which optical signals are coupled between the optical fibers. As such, a technician must generally clean the end faces of the optical fibers each time that the optical fibers are disconnected to prevent an excessive number of particles from accumulating upon or being transferred to the end faces of the optical fibers. As described above, the failure to adequately clean the end faces of the optical fibers can decrease the operational efficiency of the fiber optic network and, in regards to fiber optic networks having optical fibers that support high power densities in the fiber cores, can lead to severe system degradation and, in some instances, catastrophic fiber damage.